Wheaton, Winfield declared states of emergency

There were plenty of problems in West DuPage communities, where Wheaton and Winfield have declared states of emergency.

Power outages turned many busy intersections into four-way stops along Roosevelt and Butterfield roads, two main arteries through the county.

The outages shut down some businesses, where workers stood outside of dark storefronts and waved away customers during the lunch hour.

Barricades littered the community where high water had shut down some areas, such as the major gateway into downtown Wheaton at Roosevelt and Main Street. The parking lot at Butterfield Plaza, just east of Interstate 355 in Lombard, was flooded, leaving a small sliver of curbside parking for customers.

In Wheaton, businesses along several blocks of South Main Street, between Roosevelt and E. Willow Avenue, were closed because of standing water, said Paula Barrington, director of the Wheaton Downtown Association.

The Animal Medical Center and Marathon service station were under several feet of water. The owner of the Wheaton Meat Co. told Barrington that water was inside of the store and said it was the worst flooding he’d ever seen.

“It’s really a shame,” Barrington said. “We’re reaching out to these business owners and offering to do whatever we can to help.”

Over in Glen Ellyn, the public library will be closed until April 29 because of five feet of water in the mechanical room in the basement, said Anthony McGinn, marketing coordinator at the library. The fire department was called to pump water out of the building.

“The library’s collection has not been damaged,” he said. “Our library director, Dawn Bussey, is working very hard to remove the water, repair the damages, and ensure the safety of the building before reopening on Monday, April 29.”

Hundreds of calls poured into Wheaton and Glen Ellyn, where emergency and public works crews fanned out to address traffic and flooding.

The City of Wheaton received more than 300 calls by mid-morning, city officials said. Emergency and public works crews fanned out to address traffic and flooding. Both communities put out sand bags for residents.

In Glen Ellyn, officials put 400 sand bags on the north side of Lake Ellyn to minimize bank erosion.

It was hard on some residents, such as Audrey Borlik, who looked out the window of her newly purchased Wheaton home and saw her husband’s flooded car. Her backyard looks more like a lake, she said.

The couple moved into the house near Roosevelt and County Farm roads less than two weeks ago.

She woke up at 4 a.m. to check the basement and found the water was so high, it nearly reached her husband’s knee. Borlik was able to move her wedding dress and memorabilia upstairs and was also able to salvage some unpacked boxes.

“We were aware there was a flood claim on the house at one point, but we did not know it was this bad,” she said. “It was only after we talked to our neighbors that we realized it has flooded like this in the past.”

Police have barricaded off part of her street. Borlik moved her car to higher ground, but her husband’s car has stalled, she said. Water has made its way up to the back porch. The deepest part is about two to three feet high.

“It’s hard not to be upset, but I’m trying to be positive. Everyone’s safe,” she said.

Glenbard Township High School District 87 and Wheaton-Warrenville Community Unit School District 200 canceled classes and all after-school activities.

DuPage County government buildings and courts were also closed.

Freelance reporter Leslie Mann contributed.

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